South Bend traffic fatalities down this year

Girl's Aug. 12 death was first this year in South Bend.

Girl's Aug. 12 death was first this year in South Bend.

August 30, 2006|TOM MOOR Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- The death of 4-year-old Gisela Alfaro in a car crash earlier this month is a horrific reminder of how quickly things can go wrong behind the wheel. The vehicle Gisela was riding in was hit Aug. 12 at the corner of Western Avenue and Dundee Street, causing the girl to be ejected and killed. Fortunately, tragic crashes like hers have been few and far between this year in South Bend. In fact, Gisela was the first traffic fatality in South Bend city limits this year. There have been two total. Andrea Foy, 32, died last week from injuries she suffered after she was pinned underneath her Ford Bronco and dragged while trying to jump-start it July 19. "I've been doing traffic since '97, and I never remember a year anywhere near this," said South Bend police Sgt. Bill Kraus, who runs the traffic division. "Knock on wood." Kraus is hoping it is more than luck as a reason for the drop in fatalities. He hopes people are buckling up more, driving under the influence less and using common sense when getting behind the wheel. Kraus said South Bend averages six to 10 traffic fatalities a year. There were nine or 10 last year, he said. The numbers are also down in the rest of St. Joseph County. In Mishawaka, there has been one driving fatality, according to Capt. Tim Spencer of the Mishawaka Police Department, who runs the traffic division. Those numbers have gradually dropped since 2001, when there were 12 fatalities in Mishawaka. The rest of St. Joseph County has seen 11 fatalities. "The number of fatal accidents are lower the last few years," Spencer said. "I really believe the number of OWI (operating while intoxicated) arrests are really making a difference." He says the St. Joseph County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team is responsible for some of the arrests. The FACT team, started at the beginning of the year, is made up of three teams of five people, with each member specializing in a certain area. The team is called to crashes if drugs or alcohol may have been factors in the crash. "The prosecutor's office said they have seen sentences handed out like they've never scene before," Spencer said. "We're treating some of these accidents like homicide-quality investigations. The quality of the investigations are going through the roof. "I think people know this exists." Other efforts to decrease crashes are also being taken. On Tuesday, the South Bend Police Department handed out 22 tickets during a one-hour school zone safety blitz, an effort to decrease speeds around schools. During a traffic blitz Friday, the Indiana State Police handed out 249 traffic citations and 241 warnings in St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties. Police have also been setting up more DUI checkpoints. There is a nationwide drunk driving crackdown that started Friday and goes until Sept. 10. There are four traffic blitzes a year nationwide, with the current one focusing on impaired and dangerous driving, Kraus said. Extra officers have been in place during these operations. Police hope the extra work and increased awareness continue to equal fewer crashes. Staff writer Tom Moor:tmoor@sbtinfo.com(574) 235-6187